The Athens County 911 Emergency Communications Center reported receiving a 911 call at 6:35 p.m. Saturday reporting a plane crash near 3315 U.S. 50, near the airport.

The Albany Area Volunteer Fire Department and Athens County Emergency Medical Services were dispatched to the scene where first-responders found a small four-person single-engine aircraft, said Dan Pfeiffer, public information officer for Athens County. The aircraft had a single occupant who was the pilot and was declared dead at the scene, he said.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol was on scene Saturday performing an aircraft crash investigation. According to the OSHP, the preliminary investigation revealed that a 1972 Bellanca Super Viking being piloted by Charles W. Wagner, 73, of Athens County, crashed while enroute to the Ohio University Airport .

The Federal Aviation Administration was notified and a crash investigation team was being dispatched to the scene, Pfeiffer reported.